Ben Sledge

HeartSupport

Director of Veteran Outreach

Benjamin Sledge is a wounded combat veteran with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, serving most of his time under Special Operations (Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command). He is the recipient of the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and two Army Commendation medals for his actions overseas. Upon returning home, he began work in mental health and addiction recovery. A prolific communicator, Benjamin has authored several viral articles and is frequently featured on Medium.com. His work ranges from fiction, self-help, investigative journalism, Christianity, and the military. Currently he is finishing his war memoir, Where Cowards Go to Die, which will be released by a major publisher in Spring 2022. He lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado with his wife, daughter, and son.

Friday, December 11, 2020

12:40 PM - 1:20 PM EST

Hearing Veterans Voices: Community + Tech to Support Mental Health

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→ Panel Technology for Good Human-Centered Design

Ben Sledge

HeartSupport, Director of Veteran Outreach

Bryan Lane

General Services Administration, Technology Transformation Services, Co-Founder, AI Center of Excellence

Chris Bourne

Department of Housing and Urban Development, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Innovation

When WWII veterans served, they made up 11% of the US population… today, in the midst of our longest running conflicts, it’s less than 1%. What burden has that placed on our vets, especially when many are not truly heard about what they’ve seen and experienced? With an average 22 veterans lost by suicide per day, there is clearly work to do, and today’s tech and services may not be cutting it. Hear from writer, veteran, advocate, designer, and general truth speaker Ben Sledge about his story and the conversations we need to have. Featuring a TED-style talk by Ben and a fireside chat between 3 post-9/11 veterans about their collective experiences and how technology and The Opportunity Project community can support.